You saw them? The tricky plot holes in The Last of Us that defy science
HBO’s The Last of Us has been widely praised for its acting, plot, and eerily realistic depiction of a zombie mushroom found in the wild.
But eagle-eyed viewers have noticed two plot holes that defy science.
Both occurred in the fourth episode, but have recently gained ground on social media.
The show takes place in 2023, 20 years after the fatal outbreak occurred, and in episode four, two scenes show key characters pumping fuel from a car and then eating a can of Chef Boyardee pasta for dinner.
However, the gas begins to degrade around three months after production, losing its combustibility due to oxidation and evaporation.
And while canned foods are said to last forever, only low-acid foods like soups and canned meats are edible for up to five years.
HBO’s The Last of Us is purely sci-fi, but there are scenes in episode four that viewers pointed out are impossible, including the siphoning of gas from a 20-year-old car.
The first episode takes place in 2003, with the beginning of the outbreak.
Fast forward to 2023, and viewers are now watching the cast navigate an America overrun by fungus-infected humans.
The Cordyceps parasitic infection, inspired by the real-life ophiocordyceps unilateralis, has killed 60 percent of the world’s population and has four stages, making humans increasingly resemble zombie-like monsters using the echolocation.
It takes more than a decade for someone to reach stage four of the infection, where they develop hardened fungal plaques, release infectious spores, and are increasingly difficult to kill.
But 14-year-old Ellie Williams is immune to the infection. And Joel Miller is tasked with transporting her out of a Boston quarantine zone to the West Coast, where she is creating a cure.
The show is for entertainment, but viewers have pointed out errors that defy even the laws of science fiction.
Gasoline degrades over time, breaking down in about three to six months.
The gas begins to degrade around three months after production, losing its combustibility due to oxidation and evaporation.
In the fourth episode, Joel and Ellie drive to the West Coast in a 2001 Chevy S10, which gets up to 25 mpg. jalopnik reports.
Joel explains that the couple must stop every hour to extract more gasoline from vehicles that have not been used for 20 years.
According to BP, gasoline will last a year if stored in a sealed container.
Within three to six months, it begins to break down and lose its combustibility due to oxidation and evaporation, but only if the fuel is stored in a sealed metal or plastic container.
Ethanol-gasoline blends, popular in the US, have an even shorter shelf life of two to three months.
Fuel stabilized gasoline can last up to three years under optimal conditions.
However, gas stored in vehicle tanks degrades in about a month, and the fuel on the HBO show has been inside a tank for two decades.
Twitter users have criticized The Last of Us for its gasoline plot hole, but many people have applauded the show for being the first to acknowledge that gasoline degrades.
In the fourth episode, Joel and Ellie share a can of Chef Boyardee Ravioli.
While canned foods are touted as good forever, many suggest they start to go bad after around 18 months.
While the USDA suggests that canned pasta can last up to five years, other high-acid foods, like tomatoes and fruit, should only be stored for up to 18 months.
The two share a can of 20-year-old Chef Boyardee ravioli. “That guy was good,” Ellie says as she stuffs more dough into her mouth.
Another scene from the fourth episode shows Joel and Ellie eating around a campfire in the woods.
The two share a 20-year-old can of Chef Boyardee ravioli.
“That guy was good,” Ellie says as she stuffs more dough into her mouth.
The US Department of Agriculture explains that “most non-perishable foods are safe indefinitely” noting that most canned goods can last for years, but the agency does not state decades.
DailyMail.com has contacted Congra, owner of Chef Boyardee, for comment.
There is no definitive answer available as to how long a can of the famous paste would last, although many sources suggest that the food is edible 18-24 months after the expiration date.
Ron Giles, director of quality control for Goya Foods, said TODAY.com: ‘Canned foods do not expire on a certain date.
“You can’t say canned food is good one day and not good the next.”
Dana Gunders, a former food scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, was of a similar opinion.
“The idea that there’s a magic date when food suddenly ‘expires’ is a myth,” said Gunders, executive director of ReFED, a nonprofit organization committed to ending food waste.
“Personally I’d eat anything within 10 years or so of the ‘best by’ date, as long as it looks, smells and tastes good.”
While the USDA suggests that canned pasta can keep up to five years, other high-acid foods, like tomatoes and fruit, should only be stored for up to 18 months.